Not even Tuchel could end the World Cup's strange curse

Thomas Tuchel has not broken football’s strangest World Cup trend: no foreign coach has ever won the tournament.

England were ahead of Argentina until the 85th minute and looked set for a place in the final, but a late comeback sent them into the third-place play-off instead. A stunning strike from Enzo Fernández and a header from Martínez turned the match around and ended Tuchel’s bid to restore England to the top of the world game.

The German, appointed only recently, had hoped to become the first foreign-born coach to win the World Cup and to end England’s long wait for the trophy. That chance is gone for now.

Tuchel must now prepare England for a meeting with France, with bronze the best possible finish. The final will be between Argentina and Spain, meaning the champion will again be led by a homegrown coach — Lionel Scaloni or Luis de la Fuente.